1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of standup paddling where a person stands on a surfboard and holds a shaft where a paddle at one end of the shaft is inserted into the water and the person grasps the shaft by a handle at the other end of the shaft so that the paddle can be stroked into the water to move the board along.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Over the last few years there has been a popularization of a sport whose origin can be traced back to the 1940's in Hawaii. The new sport is called standup paddling (SUP). A large very buoyant surfboard is used so the standing surfer can paddle while the board is in flat water. A single bladed paddle with a handle is used on a long shaft with a handle or a simple “T’ at the other end. The typical blade of the single blade was discovered to work best if angled at about 14% relative to the shaft.
The surfer traditionally stands up and paddles with this long shafted single bladed paddle. The surfer paddles over flat water or also typically uses the single bladed paddle to paddle into and even catch and ride an ocean wave. Once the surfer catches a wave, the paddle is then actively used for maneuvering on the ocean wave for bracing and steering.
There are several reasons the sport has found new popularity as follows:
1. It provides great exercise and a great aerobic workout, strengthening a user's legs, arms, and chest;
2. It makes it easier to catch ocean waves;
3. It provides a convenient method for travel across any body of water;
4. It is highly enjoyable.
This is a difficult sport to learn especially with the single paddle but it is much easier than learning to surf on a surfboard with no paddle. It is hard to balance on the board at first to gain motion depending on the size of the surfer and the size of the board and made more difficult with conditions like wind or large waves that create different challenges to learning. However, after learning the basics of paddling, it is easier to catch a wave on the big board than a regular surfboard. This fact gives the sport immediate new popularity in open ocean areas as it makes it easier to catch a wave to surf.
There are many paddle sports and many sports that use a paddle that has either two blades on a shaft or a single blade on a shaft typically with a handle on the other end of the shaft if only one blade is used. Standup surfing uses a single blade as it is a long way down to the water when standing and the handle at the other end of the shaft is actively used for controlling the blade for paddling and for maneuvering while riding the waves. The standup surfer has to learn to switch the paddle from one side of the board to the other in order to go move in a generally straight line.
Beginners to the sport are sometimes seen sitting on a board using the paddle or on their knees on the board. The single paddle is not very efficient in this position, as the user must switch the paddle to the other side of the board so that the board goes generally in a straight line. Because the shaft is long, it is inefficient. In this position it functions like a bladed kayak paddle. If, for example, the surfer is in the ocean's environment where lots of waves are coming to shore, standing up can also be difficult so a kneeling position is used, even by experts. This is especially noticeable when the surfer is trying to get out past the active waves. A two-bladed paddle would be very efficient and much easier to use, especially for a beginning or intermediate level user. The problem with a two-bladed paddle is that it is not very efficient when paddling while standing. When you catch a wave, you need a handle to control the blade in the water for simple paddling or for surfing and the blade in the water is used as a steering or bracing option while riding an ocean wave.